Secondary battery.



PATENTED DBG. 1, 190s.

G. K. HARTUNG. SECONDARY BATTERY. APYLIGATION FILED SEPT. 1a, 190s.

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PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903.

G. K. HARTUNG.

SECONDARY BATTERY.

APPLIU'ATIQN FILED SEPT. 16, 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

PATBNTBD 1350.1', 1903.

G. K. HARTUNG. SECONDARY BATTERY. APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 16,1903.

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UNiTEn STATES Patented December 1, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

GUSTAVE K. HARTUNG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN KNOBLOOH,

- OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

secon D'ARY BATTERY.

srEorErcA'rIoN forming para of Letters Patent No. 745,604. dated December 1. 1903. Application tiled September 16, :19,G3, Serial No. l'il). (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, GUSTAVE K. HARTUNG, a subject ofthe Emperor of Germany, residing in the city of New York, county and Slate of New York, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Secondary Batteries, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in the structure of the secondary or storage battery lo or accumulation as it is called.

The object of my invention is to increasel culty due to the expansion of the material to become active, which would otherwise re'- sult in splitting the tubes, and the resilience of this novel inactive material tends to maintain goodcontact between the material to be'- 3o come active and the section of bare conductor embedded therein. These sections of conductor are electrically unitedand grouped as may be desired to form the elements. The tubes to form an element are supported ina fra-me consisting of two strips of greater:

breadth or width than the diameter of a tube. These strips are clamped to the ends of a number of tubes by bolting' the strips together,thus holding the tubes in a plane, usually vertical, 4o equidistant and parallel. The excessin width of the strips over the diameter of a tube lits the strips to act as separators between adjacent elements and avoids the use of independently-movable separators.

I provide an improvedform of cell for niobile or movable use' by arranging a number of the described tubular elements in a piane, fixed in a frame, and connecting alternate elements together in two series to form the 5o positive and negative elements, respectively,`

I inclose these elements in a cell arranged 1 vertically. By means of the described structure and arrangement the displacement of the active material and the wash of the electrolyte is absolutely avoided and the du 55 rability and efficiency of the battery for locomotive power purposes is greatly increased.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

' Figure 1 is avertical elevation,partly in sec- 6o tion and partly broken away to clearly show the structure. Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross- -section through one of the tubular elements.

Fig. 4 shows one member of the supporting- 65 frame. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section showing alternate tubular elements electrically unitediu two series. Fig. 6 is a cross-section showing the last-named electrical connection. Fig. 7 shows three elements as- 7o semhled to form a complete cell, the frame serving the purpose of separator and frame combined; and Fig. 8 shows a complete cell, including electrolyte and inclosing cell, the tubular elements arranged inV two series of opposite polarity.

The-tubular element is composed of a tube or cylinder il of porous pp glazed earthenware. Material trbe-fn/ective-:abxiflead a-is placed inside this tube t and is mixed 8o or mingled with a yielding resilient inactive material, such as finely-divided cork or pure rubber rc. This yields when the material to become act-ive expands and prevents cracking or fracturing the tubes t during the process of charge or chemical change in the-material incident to immersion in the electrolyte. iVithin the tubes t, preferably in the center, inthe line of the major axis is a rod or wire of conducting material fw. I prefer 9o lead or an alloy of lead and antimony. A series of these tubes t, filled as described, are fixed in avortical pla-ne by means of a frame composed of two strips s, having shelves u arranged eqnidistantly and divided,.as at b,

`to receive the connecting strip or lug 'm and support the tubest. These strips are of greater width or breadth than the diameter cfa tube t, (see Fig. 2,) being thus fitted to act as separators and hold the parallel series of tuburco lar elements in a plane. ris a bolt, and en. is a nut, preferablyof nonconducting material, such as hard rubber. These bolts r (in pairs) and nuts n unite the strips s and clamp them rmly against the opposite ends of the tubular elements.

In Fig. 1, m is a lug which is electrically connected at one side to the series of bare conductor-sections w. With this arrangement all the tubular elements would be of the same polarity. As shown in Fig. 5, there are two lugs fm, and the tubular elements are divided in two series, one series alternating with the other. One series of these tubular elements is electrically connected to one lug m, and the other alternate series is connected to the other lug m. In this latter arrangement alternating tubular sections would be of opposite polarity.

In Fig. 7 I have shown three elements assembled. It is to be noticed that the strips s act as separators. The assembled elements closely lit the inclosing cell and are thus held in a fixed position, or they may be clamped together in any well-known manner.

In Fig. 8 a single compound element is shown, the mechanical construction being the same; but the tubular elements are divided in two series to form the positive and negative elements. Each series is electrically united to its own lug m. The compound element is immersed in an electrolyte, such as sulfuric acid and water, and placed in the inclosing cell c.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l.A In a secondary battery, an element consistingofa series of porous earthenware tubes, a section of conductor within each tube, material to become active within the tubes, surrounding said conductor-sections, a frame of insulating strips or sections in Width greater than the diameter of a tube, mechanically uniting the tubes in a vertical plane and electrical connections uniting said conductor-sections with the battery-terminal.,

2. In a secondary batterya plate or element consisting of a series of porous earthenware tubes, a frame composed of separable strips or sections in which said tubes are supported equidistantly in a vertical plane, material to become active in the tubes, a bare conductor-section in each tube embedded in said material, and a separable, electrical connection uniting` the series of conductor-sections.

8. In a secondary battery an element including one or more porous tubes of insulating material, active material mixed with a resilient, subdivided, inactive material in said tubes, conductor-sections embedded in the material in each tube and means for electrically uniting said conductor-sections.

4. In a secondary battery, an element containing a conductor, embedded in active ma terial mixed with resilient subdivided inactive material.

5. In a secondary battery an element containing a conductor embedded in active material mixed with resilient subdivided inactive material held in position by a porous inclosing medium.

6. In a secondary battery element a conductor embedded in active material mixed with resilient, subdivided, inactive material and enveloped in a case or covering of porous earthenware.

7. In a secondary battery element a conductor embedded in active material mixed with numerous small sections of cork and held in position by a porous inclosing medium.

8. In a secondary battery the combination of a series of porous tubes each containing active material and a section otv bare conductor, means for electrically uniting said conductor-sections with the battery-terminal, a frame including two strips of insulating material having a width greater than the diameter of a tube With receptacles for the tubeterminals and means for clamping said strips together and to said tubes. v

9. In a secondary battery an element including a series of porous tubes each containing material to become active and a section of bare conductor combined with a frame consisting of two strips of insulating material in Width greater than the diameter of a tube and nl eans for clamping said tubes in a vertical plane.

10. In a secondary battery the combination of two or more elements including a series of porous tubes containing material to become active and a section of bare conductor; a frame for each element consisting-of two strips of insulating material of greater Width than the diameter ot a tube, shelves to receive the ends of the tubes and means for clamping said strips upon opposite ends of a number of tubes whereby said tubes are held in a vertical plane, equidistant from adjacent similar elements.

11. In a secondary battery a series of porous tubes each containing material to become ac- .tive and a section of bare conductor, a frame in the form of separable strips or sections for clamping or holding said tubes in a vertical plane, and means for separably, electrically connecting said tubes and conductor-sections in two series whereby such positive and negative elemental parts alternate.

GUSTAVE K. IIARTUN Gr.

Witnesses:

THEoDoRE L. CUYLER, J r., S. W. MANN.

TOO 

